Viper Mine in Elkhart is Back in Production

By TIM LANDIS

ELKHART – The Viper Mine in Elkhart is back in production after a five-day shutdown caused by a roof collapse.

Mine owner International Coal Group Inc. announced reopening of the mine, which has 255 employees, in a brief statement Thursday. The company said a “hot spot” that resulted from Saturday’s roof collapse had been cleaned out and sealed off.

The area that gave way was in a previously mined area, and no one was injured.

While no fire occurred, the mine was shut down as a precaution after sensors detected elevated levels of carbon monoxide near the roof collapse. State mine-safety officials said hot spots are not uncommon because of the spontaneous combustion that results from the pressure of a cave-in on the coal below.

“We determined that the area has been cleaned out, and it was safe to return to the mine,” said Chris McCloud, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The agency’s Department of Mines and Minerals oversees mine-safety regulation.

McCloud added that the state would return to a regular inspection schedule now that the area of the roof collapse has been cleaned out. Federal mine-safety officials also had to clear the mine for opening.

Viper Mine supplies coal to City Water, Light and Power of Springfield, but CWLP general manager Todd Renfrow said the brief shutdown had no impact because the utility had ample supplies stockpiled.

“We could have gone several more days without any problem,” Renfrow said.

Elkhart is about 15 miles north of Springfield.

Originally published by TIM LANDIS BUSINESS EDITOR.

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